As Camas High School (CHS) students age and approach adulthood, many start entering the workforce. Working is a great opportunity for students to learn what it is like to have a boss, get a paycheck, and use their own money responsibly.
Many students at CHS do not know about an opportunity that allows them to work and gain credit for doing so. CHS offers a “work-based learning” opportunity for a Career Technology and Engineering (CTE) credit, for students with a stable job.
There are a few requirements students must meet to qualify for the credit.
“Students must be juniors or seniors. They earn school credit for working or interning outside of school. They receive either CTE or elective credit based on their performance at their work or internship site” said CHS counselor Leontina Liebe.
Additionally, students need to talk to Brady Miletich, the CTE Business and Marketing teacher, to discuss details about the job. Then, students need to fill out an application packet and a “Minor Work Permit.” Once students have completed those forms, Mr. Miletich sends an email to the student’s counselor, and from there, the student is eligible to achieve the credit.
“If students meet the 180-hour requirement each semester, they pass and earn .5 credit. Students can also fail if they are fired from their job,” Miletich said.
The application packet is about four and a half pages, including consent to medical treatment, transportation details, a liability agreement, a worksite verification form, a supervisor agreement, a parental and school authorization form, and a training-education plan. To receive the credit students must commit to completing 12 hours of work a week, or 180 hours over the course of one semester.
“In addition to the hours, I complete two evaluations with the student’s supervisor per semester to track improvement,” Miletich said. Many students who have not completed their CTE credits think this is a great opportunity.
“I did not have all of my CTE credits, my counselor let me know that I could get a full credit for working,” Senior Jim Yoke said. Working while in high school can teach students valuable life skills.
“My advice is to do it and do it right away because it is so helpful for after high school. You learn a lot of life skills,” Yoke said regarding younger classmen looking for opportunities to earn a CTE credit for working.
Working on top of keeping up with the rigorous academic load can be a lot for some students to handle. Regardless, most students involved in a program of work-based learning think the work is better than taking a CTE class.
“It is a lot easier than taking a whole class and you are working anyway might as well work for credit,” Senior Taige Taylor said.
CHS’s work-based learning opportunity allows students to work while also earning credits in high school. It provides students with the work experience and ability to learn life skills that students who do not work will not be able to have, and many consider it highly valuable for students.
